A known guide bar includes an elongate, flat base body made of a base body material. The base body extends along a longitudinal center axis and, in order to guide a saw chain, has a running surface formed on an outer periphery of the base body and a guide groove formed in the outer periphery of the base body. The guide groove has a groove base. Formed at one end of the base body is a direction-reversing section for the saw chain, wherein the direction-reversing section includes at least one add-on component having a running surface made of more wear-resistant material than the basic material of the base body. The add-on component is secured to the base body of the guide bar by at least one weld seam.
The connection of the add-on component made of wear-resistant material to the base body material of the base body can result in high local stress peaks in the base body material or in the weld seam, and this can result in damage when the guide bar is subjected to mechanical loads.